Aric Sleeper here, scratching my head after learning that the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is trying to expand its network of Flock cameras in the county.
Earlier this year, I reported that data collected by the so-called license plate reading cameras for the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office was being illegally shared with multiple out-of-state agencies, apparently without the sheriff’s knowledge. The Sheriff’s Office claimed that it was technically the service provider, Flock Safety, that violated Senate Bill 34, which prohibits state law enforcement agencies from sharing ALPR camera data with out-of-state and federal agencies, and that the company had remedied the issue with a software fix.
Despite the breaches of state law and recent reporting showing misuse of the system by law enforcement officers elsewhere in the country to stalk former romantic partners, and that Flock Safety had demonstration cameras posted in a children’s gymnastics room, a playground, a school, a community center and a pool—alongside numerous accounts of the cameras being vandalized in Monterey County and across the country—the Sheriff's Office is seeking to add 40 more cameras to its network and sign a 10-year deal with Flock Safety expiring in 2036 for about $2.8 million.
The first year is free—and that’s because it would have to be. As the Monterey County Board of Supervisors’ Tuesday, Aug. 25 agenda report points out, the County’s 2026-2027 fiscal year budget did not include funding for the continuation of the Flock Safety agreement. The report also mentions that the Sheriff’s Office requested augmentation funding to continue its relationship with Flock, but it was not approved.
The Sheriff’s Office agreement with Flock Safety expired at the end of July and to maintain the continuity of the service, the company has continued to provide its services at no charge while a 10-year proposal was being developed for the supervisors to consider, which they will do tomorrow.
According to the proposed contract, the 10-year agreement would cost nearly $2.8 million. Beginning in the second year, the County would pay $309,000 annually.
Whether you are for or against the continuation and expansion of the Sheriff’s Office Flock surveillance network, you can voice your opinion on the use of the technology locally during the afternoon session of the Board of Supervisors’ meeting tomorrow at 1:30pm.